His "road map" back to normal ties has been a nine-month journey, and not without bumps.

In February there were more leaks from former US contractor Edward Snowden, this time revealing Australia spied on Jakarta as it was in trade disputes with the US.

Then in May, Prime Minister Tony Abbott cancelled at the last minute a meeting with Dr Yudhoyono, apparently because his visit would have coincided with a mission to push asylum seekers back to Indonesia, a policy Jakarta stridently opposes.

However the outgoing president, likely considering his legacy, was conciliatory, and the pair managed a friendly meeting in June.